History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 21

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 21

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1.Then at Strong-kill, in Lancaster County (now Lebanon).

2 This place was in the upper section of Bethel township, Berks County.

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roads are continually full of travelers. Those on the other side, of the men, women and children, most of them barefooted, have been obliged to cross those terrible mountains with what little they could bring with them in so long a journey through ways almost impassable, to get to the iuhabitants on this side. While those who live on this side near the mountain are removing their effects to Tulpehocken. Those at Tulpehocken are removing to Reading, and many at Reading are moving nearer to Philadelphia, and some of them quite to Philadelphia. This is the present unhappy situation of Pennsylvania.

" Yesterday afternoon [ was informed that Adam Reed was come from over the mountain and reported that he had been at the house of Henry Hartman, whom he saw lying dead, having his head scalpt.1 I sent for him, and before five o'clock this morning he came to me and told me that between eleven and twelve o'clock yesterday-being then at home on his planta- tion on the west side of Swatawro, about nine miles from my house and about five miles from the nearest settlement on this side the hills, he heard three guns fired toward Henry Hartman's plantation which made him suspect that something more than ordinary was the occasion of that firing. Whereupon he took his gun and went to Hartman's house-being about a quarter of a mile from his owu, where he found Hart- man lying dead, with his face to the ground, and all the skin scalpt from his head. He did not stay to examine in what manner he was killed, but made the best of his way through the woods to this side of the mountain. He told me further that he had made oath before Adam Reed, Esq., of the whole matter. This day I set out with some of my neighbors to go and

1 The Indians performed the operation of scalping in the following manner : They placed their foot on the neck of the victim, seized the hair with the left hand, and twisted it very tight together, in order to separate the skin from the head. Then they cut it all around with a sharp knife, and tore it off. This operation was often performed in a min- ute. Under certain circumstances it was fatal, though not always. The scalp was painted red, placed upon a red pole in token of victory, to the great satisfaction of the whole nation, and carefully preserved in memory of their courage and prowess, in avenging the cause of their country. They like to carry off their prisoners alive, but bound, till they were not in fear of their pursuers. In the night they fasten them to the ground, with their arms, legs and necks bound to large stakes, and, for greater security, a cord passed from them to a free Indian, who was immediately awakened if they attempted to move. Notwithstanding these precautions, prisoners sometimes escaped. The European prisoners were immediately shorn after the man- ner of the Indians, and their heads and faces painted red, so as hardly to be distinguished from the Indians them- selves. If any dispute arose between two warriors about a prisoner, he was immediately killed, to put an end to it .- Loskiel.

view the place and to see the certainty of the matter and to assist in burying the dead body. Mr. Reed had appointed the people about him to go with him for that purpose, and we intended to meet him at the place by way of Shamokin road. When we got to the top of the mountain we met with seven or eight men who told us that they had been about two or three miles further along the road and had discovered two dead men lying near the road about two hundred or three hundred yards from each other and that both were scalpt, whereupon I advised to go to the place where these two men were, and with great difficulty we prevailed with the others to go back with us-being then twenty-six men strong. When we came to the place, I saw both the men lying dead and all the skin of their heads was scalpt off. One of them we perceived had been shot through the leg. We did not examine further, but got some tools from a settlement that was just by and dug a grave and buried them both together in their clothes just as we had found them to prevent their being torn to pieces and devoured by wild beasts. There were four or five persons, women and children yet missing. One of the dead men had been over on this side of the mountain with his family and was return- ing with his daughter to fetch some of their effects that were left behind. She is missing for one. It is not for me to describe the horror and confusion of the people here and of the country in general. You can best imagine that in your own mind. But where will these proceedings end? For myself I do not know whether I shall stay where I am or leave all that I have to be destroyed by those barbarians, or to be plundered by wicked people amongst ourselves."

A letter dated November 3, 1755, stated that two men had been lately killed and scalped near the first branch of the Swatara, on the road to Shamokin, one being named Odwaller, the other unknown; that both had families and that it was supposed that their missing families had been carried off by the Indians.2

On the 31st of October, at eight o'clock, at Reading, five of the county justices (John Potts, Conrad Weiser, William Maugridge, Jonas Seely and James Reed) prepared a paper of in- telligence, in which they stated, among other things,-

" We are all in uproar, all in disorder, all will- ing to do, and have little in our power. We have no authority, no commissions, no officers practiced in war, and without the commiseration of our friends in Philadelphia, who think themselves vastly safer thau they are. If we are not immediately supported, we

2 Pennsylvania Gazette. It is probable that these two men are the same to which Parsons refers in his letter.

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must not be sacrificed, and therefore are determined to go down with all that will follow us to Philadel- phia, and quarter ourselves on its inhabitants and wait our fate with them."

This was addressed to the Executive Council and read at a meeting on the 2d of November, 1755, whence it was sent by expresses from town- ship to township, into all parts of the western counties, in order to put the inhabitants upon their guard.

On the 16th of November, 1755, a party of Indians crossed the Susquehanna, and fell upon the county of Berks. They murdered thirteen persons, burnt a great number of houses, de- stroyed vast quantities of cattle, grain and fod- der, and laid waste a large extent of country.

MORGAN DEPOSITION .- The following de- position (relating to certain murders which were committed in Berks County, but not men- tioned by Weiser or Parsons) was taken at Reading, on the 18th of November, 1755, and published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, on the 20th of November, 1755 :

" BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, SS.

"Jacob Morgan, a captain in Col. Weiser's regi- ment, being sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Al- mighty God, doth depose and say, that on Sunday, the 16th November, 1755, at about five o'clock P.M., he, the deponent, Mr. Philip Weiser and Mr. Peter Weiser, set out from Heidelberg towards Dietrich Six's, to get intelligence of the mischief done at Tol- heo, or thereabouts, and to get a number of men to join them to go and seek for the persons scalped by the Indians ; and to help in the best manner they could, the poor distressed inhabitants. That about nine miles from Mr. Weiser's they found a girl about six years old scalped, but yet alive, and a vast number of people there; but he knows not at whose house it was nor the name of the child. That at the request of the people there, Mr. Weiser's son and deponent, went back to Mr. Weiser's for powder and lead. That at or about two o'clock yesterday morning they were alarmed at Mr. Weiser's with an account that the Indians had beset George Dollinger's house, and his family were fled ; whereupon Philip Weiser, and the deponent, and a person whose name deponent does not. know, set off immediately, and at Christopher Weiser's overtook a large company, consisting of about one. hundred men, and with them proceeded to George Dollinger's, and surrounded his house, where they found a good deal of damage done, and in the gar- den, a child about eight years old, daughter of one Cola, lying dead and scalped, which they buried.

"That the whole company went on to a plantation

of Abraham Sneider, and found in a corn-field the wife of Cola, and a child about eight or nine years old, both dead and scalped, and in the house they found another child of the said Cola's about ten years old, dead and scalped; but the deponent knows not of what sex either of these two children was. That while they were preparing the grave, they were alarmed by the firing of a gun, and flying to their arms, they went (a few staying to take care of the dead) to the place from whence the sound came, and about half a mile from the place they came from, they met the company, one of whom had indiscreetly dis- charged his musket, and then went back to bury the dead ; on their return they found the scalp of a white person. That having buried the woman and children, they went to Thomas Bower's, in whose house they found a dead man, scalped, whose name the deponent thinks was Philip, by trade a shoemaker, but knows no more of him.

" That the company increased fast, and were now about one hundred and thirty men, who marched on the Shamokin road to near Dietrich Six's ; about half a mile from whose house they found Casper Spring dead and scalped, and having buried him, they marched about one hundred rods and found one Bes- linger dead and scalped-they buried him. That at the same distance from Beslinger's they found an In- dian man dead and scalped, which Indian, it was generally believed, was a Delaware. Mr. Frederick Weiser scalped him the day before.

"That twenty of their body, who had gone a little out of the road, about two miles from Dietrich Six's, found (as the deponent and the rest of the company were informed, and as he believes without any doubt) a child of Jacob Wolf-he cannot say whether a boy or a girl-which was scalped ! Its age the deponent does not know, but the father carried it in his arms to be buried, as they were informed. That the de- ponent was informed by Mr. Frederick Weiser, that a company, with whom he had been the day before, had buried John Leinberger and Rudolph Candel, whom they found scalped.

"That the deponent and company finding no more scalped or wounded, they returned, being then by the continual arrival of fresh persons, about three hun- dred men, to George Dollinger's. That Casper Spring's brains were beat out; had two cuts in his breast ; was shot in his back, and otherwise cruelly used, which regard to decency forbids mentioning ; and that Beslinger's brains were beat out, his mouth much mangled, one of his eyes cut out, and one of his ears gashed, and had two knives lying on his breast. That the whole country thereabouts desert their in- habitations, and send away all their household goods. The horses and cattle are in the cornfields, and every thing in the utmost disorder, and the peoplequite de- spair. And further that he heard of much mischief done by burning houses and barns ; but not having been where it was reported to have been done, he

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chooses not to have any particulars thereof inserted in this deposition.

"JAMES MORGAN.

"Sworn at Reading, the 18th of November, 1755, before us.

" JONAS SEELY. " HENRY HARRY.

"JAMES READ.

" Besides the persons mentioned in the above de- position, one Sebastian Brosius was murdered and scalped, whose scalp was brought to Philadelphia, having been taken from an Indian."

BIDDLE LETTER .- The following letter, writ- ten by Edward Biddle, of Reading, to his father in Philadelphia, expresses the perturbed state of feeling in the city of Reading. There is no date attached to it, but it is supposed to have been written on the 16th of November :

" My Dearest Father-I am in so much horror and confusion I scarcely know what I am writing. The drum is beating to arms, and bells ringing and all the people under arms. Within these two hours we have had different though too certain accounts, all corrob- orating each other, and this moment is an express ar- rived, dispatched by Michael Reis, at Tulpehocken. eighteen miles above this town, who left about thirty of their people engaged with about an equal number of Indians at the said Reis'. This night we expect an attack ; truly alarming is our situation. The peo- ple exclaim against the Quakers, and some are scarcely restrained from burning the houses of those few who are in this town. Oh, my country! my bleeding country ! I commend myself to the divine God of armies. Give my dutiful love to my dearest mother and my best love to brother Jemmy.

"I am, honored sir, your most affectionate and obe dient son, " E. BIDDLE.

"Sunday, 1 o'clock. I have rather lessened than exaggerated our melancholy account."

WEISER LETTERS .- The following letter de- scribes the condition of the settlements beyond the Blue Mountain during this exciting period; and it also shows to some degree a want of pa- triotic feeling on the part of the inhabitants, notwithstanding their perilous situation. It was addressed to Governor Morris by Conrad Weiser, from his home, on 2d of November, 1755, at night :

"I am going out early next morning with a com- pany of men, how many I can't tell as yet, to bring away the few and distressed families on the north side of Kittidany Hills yet alive (if there is yet alive such). They cry aloud for assistance, and I shall give as my opinion to-morrow, in public meeting of the

townships of Heidelberg and Tulpehocken, that they few who are alive and remaining there (the most part is come away) shall be forewarned to come to the south side of the hills, and we will convey them to this side. If I don't go over the hills myself, I will see the men so far as the hills and give such advice as I am able to do. There can be no force. We are continually alarmed; and last night I received the account of Andrew Montonr. . My son Peter came up this morning from Reading, at the head of about fif- teen men, in order to accompany me over the hills. I shall let him go with the rest ; had we but good reg- ulations, with God's help we could stand at our places of abode, but if the people fail (which I am afraid they will, because some go, some won't, some mock, some plead religion and a great number of cowards), I shall think of mine and my family's preservation and quit my place, if I can get none to stand by me to defend my own house. But I hope you will excuse this hurry, I have no clerk now, and had no rest these several days nor nights hardly."

And two weeks afterward he addressed the following two letters to the Governor in refer- ence to the murders committed upon the settlers in the county south of the Blue Mountain,-

" Honored Sir : On my return from Philadelphia, I met in Amity township, Berks County, the first news of our cruel enemy having invaded the county this side of the Blue Mountains, to wit: Bethel and Tul- pehocken. I left the papers as they were in the mes- senger's hands. and hastening to Reading, where the alarm and confusion was very great, I was obliged to stay that night and part of the next day; to wit : the 17th inst., and set out for Heidelberg, where I arrived that evening. Soon after my sons, Philip and Fred- erick, arrived from the pursuit of the Indians, and gave me the following relation : That on last Satur- day, about four o'clock in the afternoon, as some men from Tulpehocken were going to Dietrich Six's place, under the hills on the Shamokin road, to be on the watch appointed there, they were fired upon by the Indians but none hurt nor killed (our people were but six in number, the rest being behind), upon which our people ran towards the watch-house, which was one- half of a mile off, and the Indians pursued them, and killed and scalped several of them. A bold, stout Indian came up to one Christopher Ury, who turned about and shot the Indian right through his breast. The Indian dropped down dead, but was dragged out of the way by his own companions (he was found next day and scalped by our people). The Indians divided themselves into two parties. Some came this way, to meet the rest that were going to the watch, and killed some of them, so that six of our men were killed that day and a few wounded. The night following the enemy attacked the house of Thomas Brown, on the Swatara Creek. They came to the house in the dark

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night, and one of them put his fire-arm through the window and shot a shoemaker, that was at work, dead on the spot. The people being extremely surprised at this sudden attack, defended themselves by firing out ofthe windows at the Indians. The fire alarmed a neigh- bor who came with two or three more men. They fired by the way and made a great noise, scared the Indians away from Bower's house, after they had set fire to it, but by Thomas Bower's dilligenceand conduct it was timely put out again. So Thomas Bower, with his family, went off that night to his neighbor, Daniel

Schneider, who came to his assistance. By eight o'clock parties came up from Tulpehocken and Heid- elberg. The first party saw fonr Indians running off. They had some prisoners, whom they scalped imme- diately ; three children they scalped yet alive, one died since and the other two are likely to do well. Another party found a woman just expired, with a male child on her side, both killed and scalped; the woman lay upon her face; my son Frederick turned her about, to see who she might have been, and to his and his companion's surprise they found a babe about fourteen days old under her, wrapped up in a little cushion, his nose quite flat, which was set right by Frederick, and life was yet in it and it recovered again. Our people came up with two parties of In- dians that day, but they hardly got sight of them. The Indians ran off immediately. Either our people did not care to fight them, if they could avoid it, or (which is more likely), the Indians were alarmed first by the loud noise of our people's coming, because no order was observed. Upon the whole, there were fifteen of our people killed, including men, women and children, and the enemy not beat but scared off. Several houses and barns are burned. I have no true account how many. We are in a dismal situation. Some of these murders have been committed in Tul- pehocken township. The people left their planta- tions to within six or seven miles from the house. I am now busy putting things in order to defend my house against another attack. Guns and ammunition are very much wanted here. My sons have been obliged to part with most of that which was sent np, for the use of the Indians. I pray your Honor will be pleased, if it is in your power, to send us up a quantity upon any condition. I must stand my ground, or my neighbors will all go away and leave their habitations to be destroyed by the enemy or our own people. This is enough of such melancholy account for this time. I beg leave to conclude, who am, sir, " Your very obedient,

" CONRAD WEISER.

"Heidelberg, Berks County, November 19, 1755.

" May it please the Governor : That night after my arrival from Philadelphia, Emanuel Carpenter and Simon Adam Kuhn, Esqrs., came to my house and lodged with me. They acquainted me that a meet- ing was appointed (of the people of Tulpehocken, Heidelberg and adjacent places,) in Tulpehocken township, at Benjamin Spicker's, early next morning. I made all the haste with the Indians I could, and gave them a letter to Thomas McKee, to furnish them with necessaries for their journey. Scarujade had no creature to ride on. I gave him one. Before I could get done with the Indians, three or four men came from Benjamin Spicker's to warn the Indians not to go that way, for the people were so enraged against all the Indians, and would kill them without distinction. I went with them, as also the gentle- men before named. When we came near Benjamin Spicker's I saw about four or five hundred men, and there was a loud noise. I rode before, and in riding along the road (and armed men on both sides of the road), I heard some say, Why must we be killed by the Indians and we not kill them? Why are our hands so tied ? I got the Indians to the house with much ado, when I treated them with a small dram, and so parted with them in love and friendship. "Captain Dieffenbach undertook to conduct them (with five other men), to the Susquehanna. After this a sort of a council of war was held by the officers present, the gentlemen before named and other free- holders. It was agreed that 150 men should be raised immediately, to serve as ont scouts, and as gnards at certain places under the Kittatinny Hills for 40 days. That those so raised to have two shil- lings per day, and two pounds of bread, two pounds of beef and a gill of rum, and powder and lead. Arms they must find themselves. This scheme was signed by a good many freeholders and read to the people. They cried out that so much for an Indian scalp they would have (be they friends or enemies) from the Governor. I told them I had no such power from the Governor or assembly. They began, some to curse the Governor; some the assembly ; called me a traitor to the country, who held with the Indians, and must have known this murder before- hand. I sat in the house at a low window. Some of my friends came to pull me away from it, telling me that some of the people threatened to shoot me. I offered to go out to the people and either pacify them or make the King's proclamation. But those in the house with me would not let me go out. The cry was: The land was betrayed and sold. The common people from Lancaster County were the worst. The wages, they said, were a trifle, and said somebody pocketed the rest, and they would resent it. Some- body has put it into their heads that I had it in my power to give as much as I pleased. I was in danger of being shot to death. In the meantime a great smoke arose under the Tulpehocken Mountain, with the news following that the Indians had committed

"P. S .- I am creditably informed just now that one Wolff, a single man, killed an Indian at the same time when Ury killed the other, but the body is not found yet. The poor young man since died of his wound through his belly."

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murder on Mill Creek (a false alarm) and set fire to a barn. Most of the people ran, and those that had horses rode off without any order or regulation. I then took my horse and went home, where Iintended to stay and defend my own house as long as I could. There is no doings with the people without a law or regulation by Governor and Assembly. The people of Tulpehocken have all fled ; till about six or seven miles from me some few remain. Another such attack will lay all the country waste on the west side of the Schuylkill. I am, sir, " Your most obedient, " CONRAD WEISER.

" Heidelberg, Berks County, Nov. 19, 1755."

SPICKER LETTER .-- Three days before these letters were addressed to the Governor, Conrad Weiser received the following letter from Peter Spicker (who resided on the Tulpehocken road, near the western boundary line of the county), detailing the great anxiety of the community in that vicinity, and the losses which the people suffered :

"TULPEHOCKEN, Nov. 16, 1755. "CONRAD WEISER, Esq.

"John Anspack and Frederick Read came to me and told me the miserable circumstances of the peo- ple murdered this side of the mountain yesterday. The Indians attacked the watch, killed and wounded him at Dietrich Six's, and in that neighborhood a great many in that night. This morning our people went ont to see ; came abont ten o'clock in the morn- ing to Thomas Bower's house, finding a man dead, killed with a gun-shot. Soon we heard a firing of guns ; running to that place and found four Indians sitting on children scalping; three of the children are dead; two are alive ; the scalps are taken off; here- after we went to the watch-house of Dietrich Six, where the Indians first attacked, finding six dead bodies, four of them scalped ; about a mile this side of the watch-house as we went back the Indians set fire to a stable and barn, where they burned the corn, cows and other creatures, where we found seven In- dians, five in the house eating their dinner and drink- ing rum, which was in the house, and two outside the house ; we fired to them but in vain; the Indians burned four plantations more than the above account told me. Peter Anspack, Jacob Caderman, Christo- pher Noacre, Leonard Walborn told me in the same manner; George Dollinger and Adam Dieffenbach sent me word in the same manner.

"Now we are in a great danger to lose our lives or estates, pray, therefore, for help, or else whole Tulpe- hocken will be ruined by the Indians in a short time, and all buildings will be burned down and the people scalped, therefore you will do all haste to get people together to assist us. The Assembly can see by this work how good and fine friends the Indians are to us, we hope their eyes will go open and their hearts ten-

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 21

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418